Letters From The Lifestream
by Final Hikari
Summary: Returning to the church where had met her on that fateful day, Cloud finds an unusual package of letters hidden beneath the floorboards.


_"With the sky in my hands, a storm in my heart…even long after we've said farewell, there will always be letters."_

Letters From The Lifestream

The small church in the slums of Midgar had faired poorly in the most recent conflicts that transpired in the once great Mako City. The hole in the ceiling was replaced by spacious gap, since much of the roof was now gone. There were many broken windows, a large portion of the wall was torn out, and many of the pews were overturned.

_But you still saved everyone again…_

It was painful to admit, but it was starting to blend in with the rest of the slums. It was incredibly run down on the outside, and the weather was starting to wear on the interior as well. Nevertheless, it didn't stop him from visiting the sanctuary. When Midgar was still alive and bustling, it was a bight point in the ghetto below the plate. People seldom visited it since Midgar was destroyed.

_Geostigma will be completely washed away soon._

The bed of flowers around where the floor had caved in was still alive and thriving. The vibrant colors had the same beauty they did so many years prior when their flower girl first started tending them. They grew heartily, despite all the adverse growing conditions in what remained of Midgar.

_You saved me, too…in more ways than one._

It had been well over a year since the chain of events surrounding Geostigma ended. Although it was at times a wonder that he was still alive, he'd made the decision to make he most out of the time he was given. He had obligations with the people who cared for him, who were still alive. There was also her wish for him he was determined to keep fulfilled.

_I haven't forgotten that encounter…those fleeting moments when were together again. I'll always remember that final smile…_

He surveyed the massive hole in the floor where the underground spring met with the surface. He saw the corner of what looked like a box beneath the water, partially tucked beneath one of the floorboards that was still intact. Curiosity drew his closer and he took a few steps nearer to the edge. He knelt down and pulled his glove off to reach into the water and pull the small box out.

_What is this…?_

The box had solid sides and thick plastic lids on either side. The box was many scuffs and scrapes on it, but the cracks weren't deep enough to leak. There wasn't even one drop of water on the inside. Tied around the box was a yellow tape bearing a warning, but it had lost its adhesive qualities and was instead tied in a bow.

_Aerith…was this yours'?_

He sat down and carefully untied the makeshift bow. He opened the box, recognizing it to be the extremely durable type that Shin-Ra had once used for evidence or special deliveries. A thick stack of letters, some of which were opened and others that weren't, filled the contained. He lifted them out carefully, inwardly thinking they had to be several years old.

_Letters…?_

All the envelopes were faded, but the warm colors they had previously had were still discernable. There wasn't even one plain white envelope amongst the stack. Her elegant handwriting was on the front of each one, and the addresses sometimes varied. She had sent them to different Shin-Ra facilities, sometimes to different parts of the country, or to different apartment numbers.

_There are eighty-eight of them here…_

There was only one thing that was identical about each letter; and that was the name of the recipient.

_**Zack Fair.**_

His expression darkened slightly in remembrance as he looked at the dates on each one. They were almost all from when he and Zack were imprisoned in Nibelheim for the missing four years of their lives. The earlier letters were all only a few weeks apart, but they gradually slowed to being multiple months apart. He lifted the most recent letter off the top of the pile, then flipped over to see if it had been opened.

_You tried to contact him…so desperately…_

He carefully opened the envelope and lifted the sheet of paper out. The letter was relatively short, written on a bright pink stationary. The ink in the pen she had used all those years ago was a shade of green comparable to the color of the Lifestream. He felt a pang of pain stab at his heart as he started to read.

_Dear Zack,_

_How are you?_

_This is the eighty-eighth that I have sent to you…it will also be the second to last. There will be only one more after this. But unlike this one, I'll be sending it to you a little differently. I've been writing for so long, and there has never been a response… It's painful to think of not sending them anymore. I always think that it's the only I can still be close to you._

_But I'll always hope that these words will someday reach you._

_Zack…with all of my heart, I love you. The time we spent together was short but I will never forget it. Those days were wonderful, every single one of them._

_I still have all of the flower carts you made for me. The first one you made is broken now…but part of me doesn't want to let anyone else touch it._

_Do you remember the list of wishes I gave you? I'd like to add one more to it, if that's okay._

_"Please come back alive."_

_Forever yours,_

_-Aerith_

Dislclaimer: I don't own anything from Final Fantasy VII. This was a contest entry from many months ago... XD


End file.
